The Tampa Bay Rays have received a lot of attention off the field this season. Tampa Bay is in the process of changing owners. The closing of the sale appears to be near, as Major League Baseball owners have voted to approve the transaction. The team could officially be in new hands in just the next seven days.
“The Rays said on Sept. 17 they expected the sale to close within two weeks,” the Associated Press reported.
Tampa Bay is being sold to a group of owners headed by real estate developer Patrick Zalupski. While rumors floated that the Rays could be leaving the Tampa area, baseball insider Ken Rosenthal believes MLB wants to keep the team there. Orlando was named as a potential new location for the Rays in recent months.
It's been a difficult year for the franchise. Not only is Tampa getting sold, but the team has also been forced to play all season in a minor league ballpark. That is because Tropicana Field sustained damage in recent months due to a hurricane.
“Playing at a 10,046-capacity ballpark, Tampa Bay had 61 sellouts and drew 786,750, down from 1,337,739 in 2024, when they were 28th among the 30 teams and ahead of only Miami and Oakland,” the Associated Press reported.
Stu Sternberg has owned the team for the last 20 years. Sternberg ran into headwinds with the city of Tampa Bay, over building a new stadium for the team. The two sides couldn't reach a deal.
The Rays are 76-80 on the season.
Rays hope to close out the season on a high note
Tampa Bay was in the mix for a good portion this season, for a playoff berth. That is quite admirable, considering all the off the field obstacles that have stood in the way of this club.
The Rays have struggled though in recent weeks, falling below .500. Toronto, Boston and New York have pushed past them in the American League East division standings. The club has lost six of their last 10 contests.
Tampa Bay starts a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night. After that series, the club closes out the campaign with three games against the Blue Jays.
